A 25-step shower routine? Experts say that can do more harm than good

You may be seeing elaborate shower cleansing routines on social media: daily exfoliation, double cleansing, antibacterial soap, loads of scented body scrubs and shower oils.

“I’m kind of appalled by the shower routines,” said Dr Olga Bunimovich, who teaches dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Influencers on social media have been singing the praises of multi-step “everything showers” for years, but experts say it can do your skin more harm than good.Credit: TikTok/@elysian.living/@ashley.paiige

The multi-step processes that have inspired people to spend endless amounts of time sudsing up can harm your skin – and the environment. Dermatologists say it’s all mostly unnecessary.

“Your skin is a barrier,” said Dr Nicole Negbenebor, a dermatologic surgeon at University of Iowa Health Care. “It’s one of the biggest barriers you have. It’s you in your natural elements. So you want to treat it right, and then sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.”

Here’s what to know about how to take a basic shower and indicators that you’ve gone too far with your routine.

The basics of showering

A shower is a relatively simple routine that usually doesn’t require 10 steps or a plethora of products.

A daily shower with lukewarm water and a fragrance-free hypoallergenic cleanser – followed by hydrating lotion or oil afterward – will do the trick.

Don’t plan to stay in the shower too long or turn the water temperature too high – it can strip your skin of the natural oils it needs to maintain its barrier, leaving it vulnerable to dryness and irritation.

Loading

When it comes to soaps, use one meant for sensitive skin. Antibacterial soaps are popular, but experts said they dry out your skin too much for daily use. (However, they can be beneficial for people with an autoimmune skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa, which causes painful boils and abscesses on the skin.)

Oils can be beneficial for your skin once you’re damp and out of the shower, Negbenebor said. But it’s important to remember that oil isn’t a moisturiser, but a sealant. The water hydrates your skin, but the oil will lock in that moisture.

“It’s nice to hear about skincare routines that do involve both cleansing and also providing hydration,” Dr Lisa Akintilo, a dermatologist at NYU Langone Health said, “because that’s missing in a lot of people’s skincare routine”.

‘Double cleansing’ is unnecessary

Some influencers suggest that a skincare routine isn’t complete without exfoliation and what’s called double cleansing.

Loading

The latter is typically reserved for facial skincare routines, especially when you’re wearing make up, and involves using an oil-based cleanser to break down make-up and excess oil followed by a water-based cleanser to remove any remaining residue.

Experts said you don’t need to bring that practice to the full body.

“Not only do I not think that we need to double cleanse our skin … people overuse soap all the time,” Bunimovich said. “You should not be soaping up all of your skin, period.”

Instead, Bunimovich added, wash your privates and your skin folds.

Exfoliate – but not too much

Exfoliation is meant to remove dead skin cells off our body, and is good for our skin, experts said. But doing it daily could cause a mound of problems, especially if you have dry skin or skin conditions like eczema or acne.

Manual exfoliation – that is when you use a body scrub or a rougher loofah – should be done sparingly to avoid irritation. If you see rashes on your skin after exfoliation, it may be a sign you’re overdoing it.

A more gentle way of exfoliating is using products that have lactic or glycolic acid, dermatologists said, but not all the time.

Save water, shorten your shower

Showers constitute a large proportion of indoor water use so it is always a good idea to take a shorter shower to conserve water, especially in drought conditions.

If you want to get clean and retain your natural oils, a lukewarm shower that allows you enough time to clean your body should do the trick in most cases.

AP

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.

Most Viewed in Lifestyle

Loading